“Leaping Into The Light” continues this week, and it’s just the post-Infinite Frontier adventure that the Nightwing book needs. Last issue introduced our new creative team of Tom Taylor (writer), Bruno Redondo (artist), and Adriano Lucas (colors), and I love the world they are building as it is familiar yet it also has new elements to it. The best part, though, is the heart that all the characters bring to this series. It all comes together with words that grace the art perfectly, and are highlighted by the perfect temperature of colors. Let’s jump into this issue to see what’s inside!
The first page really needs to be made into a poster. What a perfect highlight of Dick Grayson’s suits, and I just love that the body motion is perfectly set to an acrobat starting their performance. Such beauty in revisiting these suits, from the Flying Graysons to New 52; even “Disco Wing” looks amazing!
To follow that is another beautiful two page spread that shows Dick thinking of his “safety nets” in his life. I really like how John, Mary, Bruce, and Alfred are showcased here and how Dick views them in his family circus. Plus, I know people were super hyped for that Teen Titans retro shot, so there is definitely something to old being new again. In just these three pages, I can confidently say that this creative team is a bunch of “Wing Nuts”.
I want to point out an Easter egg for the newer fans: pay attention to the pizza shop that Dick and Barbara are going to because you’ll be treated to three fantastic people in the comics business: We get to see Marv Wolfman and George Perez, who happen to be another set of Nightwing’s dads; plus, it caught my eye when Dick yells to the kitchen for Shannon to “keep ’em coming.” So who is Shannon? If I’m correct, this is Shannon Lower, who was a model for a character of his from his Crimson Plague comics and she considers George to be like a father to her. We’re not even halfway through this issue and the creative team has shown this much depth for their knowledge of comics history and people, which tells me Grayson is in the right hands.
Redondo’s art and Lucas’s colors are excellent, and both create the perfect skylines to create an atmosphere of reflection. There are two scenes that stick out: the first is Dick and Babs talking about what Dick does, cast in the perfect time of day to be having their down time, making me feel like Bludhaven is a city that never sleeps. The second one sees Dick and Babs on the rooftop, when Dick says he wants to be a safety net for the city. The moment is so loud, but the colors are muted and perfect to create atmosphere of reality between the two.
While the art is really spectacular, Tom Taylor is no slouch this issue, either, ensuring each character sounds like they should. I’m glad that Dick and Babs are together in this book and am very excited to see where they go and the bumps along the way. The chemistry is perfectly on display — Taylor starts with the two being at Dick’s apartment and just talking, leading to the pizza shop, and post-heroics conversation. Barbara is being real when she says she wants to go out, while recognizing that her implant shouldn’t be pushed. She doesn’t let that stop her from helping as Oracle, however. I also love the fact that Dick is a billionaire and his reaction to that is being able to order double the food he normally would.
Nightwing #79 is a perfect followup to last issue, with excellent world building. I know these sites and characters are not new, but this book is laying down solid foundation while planting new seeds that should entertain classic fans and enrapture new ones. Amazing art and wonderful words come together under this big top!
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